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Re: 2012 Michael Pineda Performance Thread

Originally Posted by Battingly

Thats because his velocity dipped in the second half, which is why he struggled in the second half, which is well documented. Talk to any Mariners fan on the net and they'll tell you his V-lo dipped after the All Star break.

In the first half last year he was sitting at 95-96 and routinely cranking it up to 98

Re: 2012 Michael Pineda Performance Thread

“Nobody throws hard in spring training, because it’s spring training,” Pineda said. “You think a little more, and work on what you need. Now I’m focused a little more on making good pitches. I learned from last year. That’s what I need.”

“Everybody knows last year I threw harder,” Pineda said. “So (they ask), ‘Hey, what happened to Pineda right now?’ But nothing (happened). I feel good. I can pitch. Everybody sees me. I pitch every five days. … I know last year I threw hard, so I have more power. But this is spring training, so the power is coming back.”

Re: 2012 Michael Pineda Performance Thread

[FONT=Arial Black][SIZE=3][B]“I would like to take the great Di Maggio fishing....They say his father was a fisherman. Maybe he was as poor as we are and would understand.”[/B]
[/SIZE][SIZE=2]Ernest Hemingway
“The Old Man and the Sea”[/SIZE][/FONT]

Re: 2012 Michael Pineda Performance Thread

Originally Posted by Battingly

In the first half when Pineda was topping out at 98-99 and sitting in the mid 90's he was a dominator even without a change-up or an effective second pitch, to the point where he made the AST, but in the second half when his velocity dipped, he pretty much got his head handed too him.

I've posted this a few times. I disagree with your comment somewhat. His xFIP was actually ridiculously good from July through October. I think he did tire somewhat in the second half due to the workload, but not to the degree that some think. Seattle began using "Pineda Rules" towards the end of the season that almost undoubtedly contributed to the reduced velocity. His last start came on 11 days rest.

Originally Posted by THEBOSS84

I'm baffled that you're baffled. Hughes showed a major loss of velocity in ST last year and he parlayed it into a miserable season. I'm not worried about Pineda because I've watched his last two starts and he has legit swing and miss stuff, but I'm not going to pretend it isn't a concern that he hasn't touched 95 yet after touching 98-99 all last year.

To be fair, Hughes had a terrible, loopy curveball he couldn't command to accompany a 88/89 MPH fastball. Pineda appears to have a devasting slider and an impressive changeup to go along with a 91 / 92 MPH fastball right now. They're pretty different situations.

I don't remember him throwing cutters last season when I was watching starts of him with the Mariners and pitch FX doesn't have him throwing cutters last year either. I wonder if they added a cutter to his repertoire in secret.

this made sense after his first couple starts, but we're now a week removed from the start of the season and he hasn't broken 94 after averaging 94.7 last year. Are there any other pitchers who are throwing 3 mph less and have not yet thrown a pitch as fast as they averaged last year? I don't understand the "it's spring training" argument when it's clear that this is not normal. Just one 96 or 97 pitch and this entire story goes away.

Re: 2012 Michael Pineda Performance Thread

I'm not panicked about Pineda as much as I am baffled at people not caring.

When the trade got made most people who supported it used his velocity as part of the plus of the deal. Here's a young kid who can throw 98 with control. That doesn't grow on trees. Now you have people in here saying 90-91 is fine with the other pitches.

I wonder if everyone who would have been eager to trade Montero for a young prospect who threw in the low 90s with good breaking stuff.

Re: 2012 Michael Pineda Performance Thread

Originally Posted by justtxyank

I'm not panicked about Pineda as much as I am baffled at people not caring.

When the trade got made most people who supported it used his velocity as part of the plus of the deal. Here's a young kid who can throw 98 with control. That doesn't grow on trees. Now you have people in here saying 90-91 is fine with the other pitches.

I wonder if everyone who would have been eager to trade Montero for a young prospect who threw in the low 90s with good breaking stuff.

Not caring? I think people as in the article Yankees1962 posted above realize it's spring training and there is no need for him to be "airing it out" now.

Re: 2012 Michael Pineda Performance Thread

Originally Posted by justtxyank

I'm not panicked about Pineda as much as I am baffled at people not caring.

When the trade got made most people who supported it used his velocity as part of the plus of the deal. Here's a young kid who can throw 98 with control. That doesn't grow on trees. Now you have people in here saying 90-91 is fine with the other pitches.

I wonder if everyone who would have been eager to trade Montero for a young prospect who threw in the low 90s with good breaking stuff.

I prefer to display my caring for games that count and more online tools to chart his pitches. Get back with me late next month then I might have some concerns.